How far along: 20 weeks
Baby is the size of: An Endive or Mango – which I thought is like 5-6″ but my app says 10 inches.
Gender:  Surprise until March…but we are kind of leaning more one direction lately.
Weight gain: 10 pounds man! I hope I can stay at this pace.
Maternity clothes: Loving them. Mostly just pants – I can still wear my tanks, sweaters and jackets – even if they don’t button or zip anymore.
Stretch marks: Nope. I’m doing well!
Belly button in or out:  Still in.
Sleep: I’ve come to the conclusion if I sleep next to my Snoogle, I sleep like crap…but if I actually sleep WITH my Snoogle, I sleep like a baby.
Best moment this week: Two Ultrasounds! Seeing those cute little fingers and toes and the little nose. AH so cute.
Worst moment this week: Two Ultrasounds. haha Just hoping everything keep developing properly!
Miss anything: Sleeping on my stomach.
Movement: It’s getting stronger and more frequent everyday. I feel maybe 4-6 moves every hour! The tech asked if I get any sleep at night because the baby was moving constantly…but I don’t feel a thing at night.
Cravings: Still that ground beef…in any form.
Queasy or sick: Nope!! This is definitely the most exciting part of pregnancy I think..and most enjoyable.
Labor Signs: No labor signs, just cramping/tightening.
Symptoms: Nothing crazy. Starting to get SOME heartburn, but only if I eat something hot.
Wedding rings on or off: Rings are still on. I think the only weight gain has been in the belly. Here’s hoping it stays that way – the brownies I made last night are not helping with that.
Looking forward to: My Shower in November and next Ultrasound in December.

I figure it’s only appropriate to do a little “before” and “after” which isn’t really the case. Here is a picture the morning I took the test which was at 4 weeks and me now at 20 weeks! This is definitely nuts to look at…I forgot what that body was like. I already look like a Mama.

We had a couple Ultrasounds this week. The big one on Monday which my parents were able to come to and see the little nugget. They check the anatomy completely from the top of the head to the bottom of its feet and make sure everything is there and looking normal. We then had to have a follow-up on Friday to make sure some things were looking OK. We have our next one in 2 months to make sure things are progressing fine. It’s been fun getting to see this little creature more often. It’s difficult to get a good picture of the whole body…and the techs are still slacking on that, but here’s our little pumpkin. It’s nose and lips are the cutest little things ever.

So it’s been a week of up and down emotions but I couldn’t have done without the man who got me into this mess by my side. He’s definitely the voice of reason and calming my nerves and telling me everything is going well. To top it off, after his long day of work and couple hours of side work, he was determined to take me to dinner and came with a “halfway there” gift. It’s his version of (which is kind of dumb) a push gift – for pushing the gigantic creature out of my body. He’s the absolute best guy ever and when he’s in cahoots with my Mom…it can only lead to good things. I got a beautiful necklace in the birthstone of our soon-to-be. <3

These next 20 weeks can’t go fast enough!!

What a fun AND relaxing weekend with my family in town. Do I really have to head back to work tomorrow? Here’s a little recap.

Fall has OFFICIALLY (I think I said this before) come and stayed! The past week has been off and on in the 60’s and 70’s which is pretty warm for the Northeast in October, but this weekend we hit the low low’s and I’m pretty sure it’s not going anywhere. I’m so not ready for the cold vehicle and scarf deal. Although, my automatic car starter is HEAVEN in the winter. We woke up this morning to 37 degrees – not OK with that. My slippers made their “Winter 2014 Debut” as well!

Kevin went to Boston last Thursday to see a concert with my brother and they both drove back here on Friday. We made a nice easy Panko Crusted Mayo/Sriracha Baked Chicken with a side of steamed Broccoli! I woke up super early on Saturday and started prepping some meals for the weekend – I boiled potatoes for homefries, made homemade sauce for meatballs and stuffed cabbage, par-boiled cabbage leaves, mixed the insides for the cabbage AND made breakfast for the three of us. For my stuffed cabbage, I decided to use a combination of meatloaf mix with ground turkey, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, rice (cooked) and a handful of basic spices. I mix everything well and then roll them in the cabbage leaves. Put a scoop of homemade sauce in the bottom of a crockpot, layer the cabbage and top it with more sauce. I cooked these on low for about 7 hours and they came out delicious! I absolutely love my crockpot when we have a houseful. Kevin made Oatmeal Porter bread in the breakmader last minute which came out SO good I can’t even believe it. We also had a nice healthy side of broccoli and a tossed salad. That was just ONE meal.

As soon as dinner was over, the leftover cabbage went into a container and I immediately prepped lunch for the next day in the crockpot. We made some basic meatballs with two pounds of meatloaf mix, breadcrumbs made from the leftover bread, an egg, some basic spices and garlic. We chose to saute the meatballs first to get a nice crust and then right into the crockpot with the extra sauce I made earlier that morning. Turned it on low for about 4 hours, set it to go off around 2am and then turned it back on around 8am so they were ready for lunch. Can meals seriously be ANY easier? Totally slacked off on pictures and I feel so crappy about. I was able to snag a breakfast pic before everyone totally cleaned the dishes! For breakfast that morning, while trying to be somewhat healthful, I opted for ham and egg boats. I chose low sodium ham in a muffin tin, filled with peppers, onions, cheese and topped with an egg. I baked them in the oven while I cooked up turkey sausage and made the homefries. No breakfast is complete without toast!! Gotta be unhealthy once in a while.

It was a super fun weekend with my family in town and being together for my Mom’s birthday. We celebrated with dinner out and just lounged around the rest of the time.

Today was my ultrasound and my parents were able to see a real life image of their grandbaby! We were all told to look away when the tech determined the gender – so no one snuck a peek! Everything is looking good and we are on the right track. Up exactly 10lbs – not bad for halfway through…and the baby is 12.1oz- 61 percentile. Right on target here! All good news!!

Hope everything had a nice chilly weekend, cozied up on the couch with hot apple cider and a  donut!

How far along: 19 weeks
Baby is the size of: A Zesty Zucchini
Gender:  Surprise until March – which I’m learning is not the popular choice! What’s the point of finding out? It’s more exciting not to know!
Weight gain: My next appointment is Monday and we’ll know for sure – I think around 10lb
Maternity clothes: Yes – but I invested in the Bellaband and am LOVING it with my old jeans.
Stretch marks: Still nothing.
Belly button in or out:  Very in. And so is my navel ring – although getting tighter.
Sleep: It’s off and on – one night I sleep great and the next I sleep like crap.
Best moment this week: Much more movement all around! Getting more excited.
Worst moment this week: Nothing really. Just really want to get the nursery started but we can’t until we move stuff OUT of there.
Miss anything: Rare Roast Beef
Movement: Yes and having more and more…Kevin will be able to feel soon I’m sure.
Cravings: Just craving all the food I’m not allowed to eat. Still ground beef in ANY form.
Queasy or sick: Nope, feeling good.
Labor Signs: Just tightening in my uterus.
Symptoms: Haven’t really had much.
Wedding rings on or off: Rings are still on with room to spare.
Looking forward to: Our big and last ultrasound is Monday and my parents get to see the baby for the first time! Also looking forward to Kevin feeling the baby move which should be soon, if we can get the timing down.

I can’t believe we are already halfway through October…where does the time go? This time next year everything will be new and exciting and we’ll be deciding on a costume for the little offspring. Sometimes I wish I didn’t work so I could stay home and decorate and be creative. When I get home from the work, the last thing I want to do is ANYTHING. Weekends come and go so quickly that I feel like there’s no time to enjoy it all. I hope that changes in a few months and we are able to enjoy ourselves and our little family and not take on too many other tasks.

I know it’s still pretty “early” in my pregnancy – I use the term early lightly as I know it’s going to get worse/crazy before it gets better. I put together a little list of the items that have helped me get through the first 4-5 months with a growing bump. Some I have talked about before but most are new!

Snoogle / Maternity Leggings / Maternity Jeans / Tank Tops / Bellaband / Lace Bralette / Therapy Bar / Purity / Clarisonic / Workout Tank

I think most are self explanatory, but this is why I love them! My Snoogle was purchased by my Mom shortly after we announced the news VERY early on. She saw this and picked it up for me. Seriously THE best purchase thus far. If nothing else, it’s nice to snuggle with at night. But it keeps my knees and hips separate (which is good for my hip surgery as well) and keeps everything aligned and the weight of my belly up off the mattress. I love going to bed at night when I know this is waiting for me.

Maternity Leggings and Maternity Jeans. I know what you’re thinking…leggings are leggings. Wrong, wrong, wrong my friends. I started wearing my Gap Leggings when I first became pregnant and felt bloated daily, but even with those the waist band cut right across my belly and made it more uncomfortable than I ever imagined. The leggings I have came in my Stitch Fix at the hefty price tag of $58 by Rune NYC but have been a LIFEsaver on my body. Jeans fall under the same category. I feel like you should invest in one good pair of maternity jeans. Personally, I want to splurge on skinny jeans because I wear those most of the Fall and Winter. Today is the first day I am wearing my Bellaband over an old pair of American Eagle Artist Jeans with the button undone and I’m actually really loving this thing. My pre-pregnancy jeans fit me everywhere except the waist so it’s a good way to not spend as much money. The price tag can be anywhere $25-$30 for this band but I would suggest it if your pants still fit!

I have not spent the money on maternity tops since right now I don’t really need them. I’ve been buying the spaghetti strap tanks from Kohls or H&M which are like $5 each, but buying them a size or two larger so they can grow with me and be worn with everything and fit my growing belly! The bralette I purchased at Walmart for the splurge of $4.99 and is such a great find. My ribs are widening to make room for everything going on inside me and my chest is getting bigger as well. I’ve been wearing this as my bra and is so nice and stretchy compared to my bras which are getting to be pretty horrible. The workout tank is another suggestion – I have one from Lululemon but tried to find a more budget friendly version. The bottom sits snug around the waist but the rest fluffs out over your belly so you don’t feel like a stuffed sausage anymore than you normally would.

Last but not least, skincare. As those hormones rage over the 9 months your skin will go through many changes…maybe your skin used to break out but is now clear or used to be clear and now you’re breaking out everywhere…skincare is even more important now. I use my Clarisonic 4-5 times a week and wash my face twice daily with Purity. You can’t control the hormones but you can control the grease and makeup buildup. Therapy Massage Bar from Lush is the item I mentioned in a previous blog. My girlfriend gave this to me as at congratulatory gift as it helps relieve stretch marks. I LOVE this bar. I don’t know if it helps with stretchmarks or not – I haven’t seen any yet – but it makes my skin feels soft as silk and I use it ALL over my belly!! Such a great find.

And of course, something that money can’t buy…

This guy. I don’t know how I would be coping with all the changes going on if it wasn’t for the man who helped create them!!! Kev has been SUCH a great support for me, through my “fat cries” and ice cream cravings that I can hardly wait for him to hold his little offspring in his arms. Still trying to get him to feel a kick, but he talks to the baby and kisses my belly daily and is just as excited as I am. I may be getting fat, but at least I can do it with this guy by my side.

Fall is officially upon us, temperature wise and leaf wise. Kevin and I spent the weekend at my parents house in NY – it was a fun weekend filled with moving, exercise and leaf peeping!

I grew up in a very historic area and we are lucky enough to enjoy all it has to offer – even if we take advantage of it once in a while. We live on the Hudson River with scenic views, in the same town that FDR lived in as well as the Vanderbilt’s and a short drive to West Point – to name a few. Vanderbilt Mansion grounds are some of the most beautiful in the area which we got to enjoy more this trip than we normally do.  My Dad (and many other locals) takes his daily 2-3 mile walk around the Mansion every morning and Kevin and I decided we wanted to go too! I need to get exercise now more than ever. There are a couple of pretty gnarly hills but I made it up, huffing and puffing! Dad put me through the ringer! A 2 mile walk at 8am in 35 degree weather I’m sure is no ones idea of a good time, but it was so nice!

Sunday I brought my phone along and was able to snap some pretty nice shots of the area and the sun rising through the fog. I pretty much dislike all Fall has to offer, but if I have to spend it anywhere, I would choose the Hudson Valley for sure – along with ALL the other tourist leaf-peepers.

The rest of the weekend was spent cleaning out my brothers room to make room for baby – sorry Mike – and putting the deposit down for the Baby Shower. We were able to check out the room and it’s going to be a pretty sweet layout for the party. The restaurant is one of the best in the area and right on the river – think changing leaves along water! The room is stark white, floor to ceiling with an in-wall fireplace. With our subtle pops of yellow and grey the room is going to come together so nicely. We stayed for some food and drink and enjoyed the relaxing afternoon.

It’s all fun and games until we have to come back to CT and reality. Kevin and I don’t get to enjoy Columbus day in our PJs on the couch so we had to come back. Our navigator was less than excited as well…

Zoe was great in the car…she likes her carrier open so she can just see everything. She did creep out onto my lap about halfway home and just laid there. It’s definitely a stressful trip on her and she put herself to bed as soon as we got home. We’re all back safe and sound and ready for a new week.

Kevin goes to Boston this weekend for a concert and then my family makes their way down here next weekend. Lets get through these next 4 1/2 days as quickly as possible!

Happy Leaf Peeping.

How far along: 18 weeks. No makeup today, sorry for the lack of caring!
Baby is the size of: A sweet potato – seriously!
Gender:  Surprise until March
Weight gain: I’m thinking just shy of 10lb. I weighed myself at home and almost fell off the scale! Go to doctor next week and we will know for sure.
Maternity clothes: Yes. Loving the jeans for sure. I’m basically wearing all of my normal tops/coats/vests.
Stretch marks: Nothing yet. I know the jury is still out about stretch marks, what helps, if they’re genetic, if some women are just unlucky and some aren’t. But I am going to go ahead and really give props to Lush Therapy Bar. It makes your skin feel like SILK! My friend bought it for me and I love it.
Belly button in or out:  Still in. Navel ring is still in too, is that not more trashy than not?
Sleep: Can’t complain. Kevin and I spent the weekend in NY at my Parent’s and I slept amazing with my Snoogle.
Best moment this week: Really embracing being pregnant this week since I popped a lot. Trying to enjoy the ride, even if I can’t plop on my stomach like I used to. Also, finding a place to store our crap that won’t cost us! Super happy.
Worst moment this week: can’t say there have been any “worsts”. Just trying to always look on the positive.
Miss anything: Missing coldcuts – mostly turkey and rare roast beef more than anything. A cocktail, oysters and tuna fish are all VERY close seconds.
Movement: Still feeling kicks here and there, nothing consistent. I can watch my belly being jabbed though. So strange.
Cravings: Not really..just thing I can’t have. Although, ground beef of any kind is top on the list.
Queasy or sick: No ma’am! I made it through the flu shot without getting sick, lets hope we make it through Winter in one piece.
Labor Signs: Natural tightening of the uterus, but no labor.
Symptoms: Headaches and currently dealing with pain on my left side. Killing me here.
Wedding rings on or off: On
Looking forward to: Still trying to get Kevin to FEEL the baby move. He misses it every time.

Just a quick little update for everyone. Used Items. Used baby toys, used baby clothes, used baby accessories, used maternity clothes. Moms-to-be each have their own opinions on used items. Personally, the more items I can find in good shape, used, and inexpensive….I am scooping it up! Mom and I went to a yard sale today that advertised baby items, kids items and maternity clothing. I figured even if we could find a few things I would be happy. We hit the mother LOAD!

Fill a bag of clothes for $5? We were all over that. I got SO many items it doesn’t even seem appropriate! Aside from the clothing, we also scored a Fisher Price 3-in-1 Mobile Activity Gym for $10. The remaining $15 was spend on baby clothes, blankets and maternity clothing.

I got 3 pairs of jeans, 4 jackets/sweaters/parka, 4 button down/dress shirts, 2 long sleeve shirts and a tank top. All by Old Navy, Gap, Motherhood, Vera Wang, Loft, etc. For baby items: 2 jeans (1 Kenneth Cole!), 5 hats (one will be for when my brother babysits!), 1 fleece jacket, 1 toddler skull vest, 4 blankets and a Balboa Baby Sling. It was the best purchase ever. I kept throwing maternity clothes in a bag to get my moneys worth hoping maybe 2-3 things would fit and every single thing ended up fitting perfect and I LOVE it all. I’m even debating returning one of the jeans I originally bought back to Motherhood. Just wanted to share my score and totally willing to spend money on used items because they are really SO lightly worn it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of money.

Modeling one of my outfits. I’m now excited to get dressed for work!

Sunday night, we don’t get Columbus Day off so it’s early to bed and early to rise for a full week. Hope everyone is enjoying my updates, they’re here to share to all our family, friends and anyone else who is interested. This has been a crazy journey so far and only proves to get crazier!

Happy work week friends!

How far along: 17 weeks
Baby is the size of: A pomegranate
Gender:  Surprise until March
Weight gain: Won’t find out until my next appointment in a few weeks. But definitely a few more
Maternity clothes: I had to. Argh, was losing my mind without having jeans to fit so I bought myselt two pairs of maternity jeans. <3
Stretch marks: Nothing yet…not THAT big.
Belly button in or out:  Very in. And so is my navel ring – still.
Sleep: It’s been ok. My Snoogle helps, but tummy sleeping is not happening from this point on. THAT’S depressing.
Best moment this week: This was a rough week with all the growing my uterus did. But that just means more kicks and jabs!
Worst moment this week: See above. The pains and cramps all day Thursday were awful.
Miss anything: A nice mug of beer…it look so delicious.
Movement: I am getting more and more, but nothing consistent.
Cravings: Still nothing in particular. Just formed meat – meatball, meatloaf..
Queasy or sick: Nope. I hope that stays away for the next 23 weeks.
Labor Signs: I have been feeling lots of tightening, which I guess are some trial contractions. But no, not labor.
Symptoms: Headaches. Tightening and abdominal stretching.
Wedding rings on or off: On, on on. Only my waistline has grown.
Looking forward to: Our next Doctor’s appointment to see the little creature and so my family can see! Not for another two weeks.

So it’s been kind of a long/rough week but there have been some positives overall. I’ve told most of the people I WANT to know at work and it went over well, even though I was highly nervous to tell my boss! Everyone is excited and completely shocked at how far I am and no one knew! Besides that, just the growing and stretching which has been a pain – literally. I think this week I definitely popped – all of the sudden I have a belly that I can no longer suck in. Oh baby.

On a side note, you can see on the side bar and the top toolbar we have added a Baby Pool. Kevin’s co-worker set up a Baby Pool for people in their office and we’ve decided to open it to our family and friends if you all want to join in. It’s a $10 bet – birthday, gender, height and weight – the winner splits 50/50 with us. Just click the link anywhere on my page and follow the instructions – pay through Paypal within a few days of your bet – you have until March 1st. Good luck! And if you choose Boy on St. Patrick’s Day I will hunt you down.

Also, you can subscribe on the right side bar just by entering your email address. You will be notified when I update so you don’t have to constantly check back. Hope for a great week for you all!

I had an exciting night, arriving home to not one, not two…but four packages on my doorstep (luckily I beat Kevin home!).

I signed up for my first Stitch Fix. If you don’t know, it’s a free membership you can sign up for and your personal stylist will send you 5 items of clothing or accessories as often as you want. You get the items, try them on, and have three days to return what you don’t want. You can keep all (receive 25% discount on the cost) or keep nothing. A return address package is in the box for you, put the items in the bag, seal it and drop at any USPS. It couldn’t be easier! I had heard a few good things so I figure it couldn’t hurt to try!

I had filled out my style profile a few months ago but had to go through and change a few things as, you know, my belly is getting larger. They do have an option for “if you’re pregnant” as well which I was pretty stoked about and all the more reason why I figured I would try it. Might as well get maternity clothes shipped right to my door!

I forgot to snap a picture of the package as I was so eager to dive in, but the box is nicely sealed with a wide “Stitch Fix” tape around it. The contents are neatly folded inside with tissue paper secured around by a Stitch Fix label. I thought it was all a very nice touch – but does add to the cost of the items I think. I dove in!!

Three striped items – 3/4 length shirt, cardigan and a vest. One heavier sweater type cardigan with faux leather trim. One pair of black maternity leggings with the extended waistband.

I can say that I wasn’t overly impressed with the selection. (sorry, the leggings missed their photo-op). I am definitely not a stripe person so receiving three items in stripes turned me off. The quality is good, the brands I am not familiar with and the cost is $$$. The Vest and Sweater Cardigan were over $70. The leggings were $58 and the other two shirts were $48. I think most of these are basic pieces you can find at most working class stores and are not “different”. I decided to keep the leggings because I really need them and they are really nice (besides the price tag). One pair of good maternity leggings (that are heavier weight) and one pair of good maternity jeans are all I’m really looking for.

To send the items back is simple. Just log onto the Stitch Fix website and fill out the information regarding each piece of clothing. They want to know the “Fit/Cut, Cost, Size, Style” so that way your personal stylist can choose items that are closer to your style for next time. Checkout (if you decide to purchase anything) and send the rest back – within 3 days! I already signed up for my second Fix to ship November 8. Will be looking forward to what my stylist has in store for me then. If I’m not impressed with the selection, I may hold off until after I have the baby so I will be into wearing clothes a little more!

Disclosure: Sorry about Zoe making a debut in some of these pictures! All opinions are my own and I was not asked to do this by any outside company. I wanted to try this out and it was a perfect time to share my experience.

Have you tried it? What did you think?